Back Pain - Pain Management Message Board

Wisdom28 · 01-03-2007, 08:50 PM

I had a baby in may. Throughout my pregnancy I had major back pain. I got the epidural during labor. During them giving me the epidural they shot a blood vessel. Now that my baby is 7 months I am still having back problems. I had a MRI today. The impression said Moderate Left Paracentral disc protrusion/herniation at L4-5. Central Minimal disc protrusion at L5-S1.There is disc desiccation at both of these levels noted. That theres is also some flattening of the anterior csf space noted. Please explain this to me. Could this be due to my pregnancy or the epidural.

Shoreline · 01-03-2007, 10:01 PM

Hi wisdom, An epiidural couldn't have posibly caused those problems, Your doscs are on the anterior 'inside side of your spine, Meaning they would have to get passed the 3all the boney protrusions and around or completely through your spinal cord to even get a needle into a dosc to dame it. It's easier to spinal cord dame or cause a spinal fluid leak than to get a nneedle to your disc. Most disc surgery involves removing the spinous process, the posterior joint that you feel as you run you finger up and down your spine. A pragnancy and back labor where you have excessive strain and arching of your back, being numb and pushing so hard you break bones is posible. My wifgefe broke an ankle during delivery buthopefully the problems will reolve with thePT, daly excercise, perhaps some epidural cortooone, or surgery may be an option if a disc bulge happens to impinge a nerve. It looks like a bulge is impinging the thecal sac which is the sac of fluid sourounding the spinal cord but if it's not impinging enough to cause neuro problems, loss of reflexes, foot drop, loss of bowel and bladder control, Back surgery to rtelive back pain has poor results. Where back surgery to relive a compressed nerve or spinal cord can easily be seen and rethe impingment reduced.

Pregnancy either took a toll on your backor agrivated some pre existing problems that hadn't bothered you before or never botherwed you as bad.. The absolute best thing you can do is strengthen your core muscles which is part of every pregnancy recovery. Hang in there, try to get some pT or more PT and continue to excercise at home. Remeber liofting techniques, don't use bad posture with the baby on the hip and be aware how poor posture and weak muscles just make bad backs worse.

You do have some problems now, but nothing that screams operate now based on those findings or any symptom you would have described if you felt it was relevant. Surgery or dependence on pain meds is a long way off if you haven't tried all the other modalities like chiropractice, PT, muscle stim, acupuncture, Myofacial release and massage. THere is more than one kind of PT. Pilates gets a lot of press these days but it's just yoga that puts an emphesis on a strong core "back ,abs and obliques"

Hang in there and remember that pregancy takes a toll on your body but most people do recover and move on with healthy lives and even do it again.

Good luck, Dave

yvette777 · 01-04-2007, 07:18 AM

I believe that an epidural during labor greatly contributed to my back as well. I did have all back labor like he just mentioned, and my son was stuck in the birth canal for four hours. They should hae c-sectioned me for sure. After the epidural they were having me in every position known to man kind trying to get him out. When my son was born he was rush to ICU and stayed there for five days. Then boom I can't walk. Couldn't pick him up etc. extreme pain.

The first neuro I saw said that when you are given this epidural, it relaxes muscles/tendons or soemthing, and thats why you are cathed, you shouldn't be getting up moving etc..he explained that if he were to twist my leg the whole thing could come out of socket. This was his explanation. Yet I was 19 he refused surgery and It was a hell of a year with back pain.

I found out years later that there were like six reasons why I should have been c-sectioned which might have prevented all of this. But, they were trying to help me and save my son..even if they didn't do the right thing.

I did finally get past that, my son is now 17. I've had years of back problems where I will throw it out, be down etc. And now the last two years have been back to square one...except now they say its degerneative disc disease in the same disc I injured having my son.

At the time I begged the surgeon just to do the surgery...now I am glad he didn't..that I have the knowledge I do now...I would have had many more discs bulging/degernating. I know its hard with a new baby, trust me. Time will sort alot of it out and alot of hard work regaining yourself. Always keep your core strong, even ten years from now etc. - It's still there even when its better so to say.